*** Paint question ***

[bkvette3]

OK - dumb question - hopefully someone can school me here. In regards to my '85 Honda ATC250R - what is the paint process used by the factory on the OEM black rear grab bar, rear skid plate and brake levers???

Thanks in advance. BK3

[Mr. Clean]

These are my opinions. The rear skid plate, master cylinder/front brake lever and grab bar was a semi gloss black.

The rear brake lever was an olive zinc plated part.

As far as process I would blast to bare metal, base primer and quality automotive paint. Zinc plating is just that, usually best done by a plater.

[bkvette3]

are these OEM parts originally anodized???

[Mr. Clean]

are these OEM parts originally anodized???

When you say "parts" I assume you are you referring to what you mentioned in your post. They were not anodized, Zinc plating was the process as far as I am aware. I believe rear skid plate, master cylinder/front brake lever and grab bar were paint. Rear brake lever was zinc plated.

If you reference some of the builds on the site you will see axles, bolts, small hardware etc, all being zinc plated. Large items like frames, swing arms, grab bar etc all are painted.

Keep in mind I was not assembling these trikes in the 80's just drooling over them in the showroom. All of my opinions are based on owing machines which have not been restored and building them myself trying to recreate the look.

Very rarely do those in the know actually provide details.

Hope this helps.

[nik0708]

Rear brake pedal, shifter, kickstart and numerous other small parts were an olive passivate coating.
The grab bar had a black passivate coating.
The rest of the parts you mentioned were painted a satin black finish as Mr Clean mentioned. Some opinions vary on this and gloss black is often used.
Nick

[Flyingw]

Even the natural parts like triple trees, lower fork tubes, engine cases were painted with a silver industrial grade high VOC baked on finish to protect the metal. Things like the rear axles had a yellow zinc plating applied to them. Allot of other parts were plated with white zinc. The black Honda used was either a matt black or semi gloss black baked on finish.